How to dress the newborn?

The newborn is still learning to regulate its own temperature, and the most reliable reference is you: in the same environment, it needs one more layer than the adult is wearing comfortably. Above 24 degrees indoors, a bodysuit will do the trick. As the temperature drops, pants, a jumpsuit over the bodysuit and, for sleeping, a sleeping bag come into play.

The most confusing detail: the blanket on your lap and the sleeping bag are also layers. If the baby is wearing a bodysuit, pants and sleeping bag, he already has three layers. Be careful not to add a blanket over the set and overheat it.

Mom, I know that the first reaction is to hold the baby's hand to see if he is cold. But don't use your hands and feet as a thermometer: in newborns, these areas are naturally colder, even when they are comfortable. The right test is to put your hand inside your clothes and feel your chest. Warm and comfortable, it's great. Cool, add a layer.

Signs of excessive heat call for immediate action: reddened skin, sweat and those little balls that appear on the body, the famous prickly heat. In addition to being uncomfortable, overheating is a real risk for the baby. When in doubt between dressing more or less, excess clothing is the most dangerous mistake.

Start with the body: open the collar wide before going over the head. Storing open bodysuits in the drawer saves this step during each change. If the baby complains a lot about the head, you can wear the bodysuit over the legs, stretching the collar a little.

With sleeves, especially long ones, the secret is to reverse the logic: roll up the sleeve like a donut, pass your fingers inside it, hold the baby's hand and bring the fabric over the arm. Never push your baby's arm through the sleeve, because it is too soft and you could accidentally hurt it. Then just close the buttons and add the layers that the weather calls for. The first few times it will seem difficult, and that's normal: in a week of changes you do it with your eyes closed.

The Brazilian children's clothing safety standard provides criteria that are easy to check in the store. Zipper overalls need fabric protection on top and behind the zipper, so the metal never touches the baby's neck or skin. And the cursor cannot have a hole, where a baby tooth could get stuck.

Waist drawstrings, common on sweatpants, should be sewn in place, never loose to pull. Bows and ribbons cannot have loose ends longer than 7.5 cm, and pendants or metal applications that can be ripped off and swallowed are excluded from the list. Finally, embroidery needs lining inside until the age of three, and the best labels are those printed on the fabric itself. Those made of rough material can be cut off after the first wash.